


Shadows of the Night

by RavenValentino



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, Original work - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 07:20:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15903558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenValentino/pseuds/RavenValentino
Summary: An elf finds himself captive by the dragon warriors, his first escape attempt is a failure. He is tortured and battered but is desperate to escape and bring in reinforcements, he must first learn from his first mistake and be more calculated and better prepared.





	1. Chapter 1

I was crouched in the corner my blade planted into the ground, leaning my weight on it, my long hair hanging in my face, sticking to my jaw becoming ensnared in my stubble. The shadows cloaking me, the dim candle light flickered; the enemy was a few feet in front of me. I was trapped in the corner of this church no escape, I tried to keep as still as I could, I even began to breathe slower making me feel light headed. I wanted to remain undiscovered rather than be tortured and punished by one of those creatures.  
Many of my Elven kin I had watched being murdered many family and friends. I was alone; the loud screeches of those creatures hurt my ears.  
I could see their nostrils flare as they raised their heads looking for a scent, before I knew what was happening two great meat like hook claws were dug into my shoulders and I was pulled into the light.  
The prehistoric creatures roared lifting their heads high in the air. Iron shackles were clapped onto my wrists, and the chain was given one hard tug almost pulling me over. I knew begging for my life was futile. I was dragged to the dungeons of my former home these Dragon Warriors had claimed it. They stripped me of weapons, armour and left me in nothing more than just my loincloth. I found myself backing into the corner once again, my knees pulled into my chest, and my arms crossed over my knees, I hid my face in my arms. I was scared. I had elves on either side of me and they were weeping just as much, the women seemed to be wailing. I looked around realising there were no children.  
I soon began to gaze around and realised why, there lay corpses of children 1everywhere. I soon heard the cries of babies and I saw these creatures snatching the children from their mother’s arms and throwing them into a pit. The sounds of their bodies hitting the ground with a thud made me feel sick, what did they want us for? We were just mercenaries, warriors, widows and sentries we were of no use. Until I saw them drag an elf forward, she was chained down and a spine was inserted into her stomach where something seemed to be pumped into her.  
As it was taken away the hole healed and she was thrown into a cage. The sight sickened me; I allowed my head to fall onto my knees. “Ashfall.” I heard someone whisper. I looked up slowly. It was Mayeleth he looked just as scared as I was. His long dark hair was tangled with sweat, his skin seemed to be glittering with beads of sweat, and he was also just wearing his loincloth.  
“What do they want with us?” I asked my voice faltering.  
“To become one of them.” He said holding out a shaky finger pointing to the dragon warrior pacing up and down in front of us.  
“One of them?” I asked tucking a strand of long copper hair behind my ear.  
“Yes, they have selected the only strong ones of us.” He said. “I’m surprised you haven’t picked that up my dear friend.” He said cracking a smile, but soon lost it as a beast beat the bars with the hilt of its sword.  
“We must break free, and in form the wood elves nearby they could bring us reinforcements.” I explained to him.  
“We wouldn’t make it to the doors, one of us would die.” Mayeleth spoke up.  
“Not with me defending you wouldn’t.” I told him.  
“We’ll wait for dawn when these creatures slumber.” He suggested.  
“Well I suggest we sleep save our strength.” I told him laying on my side but with my back to him.  
Dawn soon came but it was silent, no animals yawning loudly into the morning. I sat up and looked over to Mayeleth he was still sleeping. I tapped the bars softly waking him up. “Mayeleth wake up.” I whispered.  
My friend moaned as he stirred, I walked to the bars and looked around for something sharp to dig into the lock. A thin rusted nail lay just a few metres away from me, I crouched sideways pushing my muscular arm and shoulders through wheezing a little as I did. My fingers like spider legs reaching desperately for the nail, once I reach it I attempt to quietly pick the lock, all the while Mayeleth watches intently. It squeaks, it clicks till finally it opens with a creak, I quietly push the door more then rush over to Mayeleths door and begin to do the same but his seemed to be easier.  
As soon as the door opened he pulled me into an embrace. “Thank you my friend.” He smiled. We had to tip toe over the giant sleeping lizards, they’re breathing deep we knew we were safe.  
Mayeleth grabbed the wall causing some of it to break off in his hand; we paused as a couple of dragon warriors fidgeted in sleep. We just about reached the great oak doors all we needed to do was push on them and we were free. But it wasn’t that easy Mayeleth misstepped and trod on one of their tails. It awoke screeching, but it was like a domino effect they all woke up and rushed towards us, an inaudible shout was heard and before we knew it they were rushing at us, we had to fight with nothing but our fists or so I expected.  
Mayeleth threw me into the sea of creatures and ran not even looking back. I was restrained and pushed to my knees on the ground. I was dragged over to an anvil, a creature intertwined its hand into my hair and tugged my head backwards, my arms also being pulled back so my chest and torso was on display, a creature turned around with a hot sword blade in its hand, it held it against my chest and expected me to scream but all I did was grunt, it was unbearable my skin sizzling and burning, the smell so potent I wanted to throw up.  
But they weren’t done with my punishment, they held me firmly one stuck it’s finger into my eye and pulled, I heard it pop as it left my socket, they kept pulling till it was separated from my skull. I cried out, I tried to bow my head but it was only yanked back. They then proceeded to cut the tips of my ears off causing me to cry out loudly. The creatures then cauterised the wounds and threw me into my cell. I lay on my front not feeling I could move. I could hear the screams of everyone around me, when I had the energy I sat up and pulled my long side fringe over my eye, ashamed of my appearance.  
It seems I can’t even trust my own kin. I could barely keep my eyes open, the pain still too much for me. There were elves on either side of me; I could feel their eyes on me. “Ashfall you were brave, but foolish. You shouldn’t have trusted Mayeleth he has a reputation for betraying his own kind.” She told me.  
“I guess I was too naive to see it.” I said slowly looking up at her.


	2. Chapter 2

They fed us nothing but slop and scraps I refused to eat, the elves next to me began to worry. The bread they were given they would break pieces off for me but I declined they needed it more than I. “Ashfall you’re going to lose your strength.” She told me.   
“I’ll be fine.” I told her.   
“I can see you won’t be, your ribs are beginning to show.” She told me.   
“I would listen to her.” I looked over and there stood the Dragon Soldiers captain. He wore thick black armour, his scales red, and a black helm balancing on his head. “Don’t make me come in there and feed you myself!” He exclaimed pulling his leather glove tighter over his hand.   
“If I was hungry I would eat.” I spat back at him. He crouched outside my cell.   
“Why would you worry about me?” I asked glaring at him.   
“Because I was going to make you a soldier but as skinny as you’re getting you can forget it.” He said waving a hand at me. I looked over his shoulder for a second and saw what I thought was hope climbing the walls; it seemed to be a creature dressed in black, but a red scarf covering its mouth. They looked like some kind of wolf; they waited for the perfect moment before quietly jumping off the walls and landing on their paws lightly. But I couldn’t differentiate whether the beast was male or female but it has thick black fur, large brown horns curling over its head, its eyes the most lightest topaz blue I’ve ever seen, they were almost crystal like, it had leather armour on, straps crossed over its chest, a long thick white mane travelled down its back, a white fringe fell over its left eye, its tail and paws were of those of a wolf.   
It tore into the dragon soldiers as they attacked it with ease, spilling their blood all over the ground. It was then a stand off between the beast and the captain, who spun around and with his cane knocked the beast out. It fell at his feet and turned into the most delicate creature I had seen.   
She was an Elven wolf warrior, her long white hair spread over the floor and glimmered in the dim light, her skin the most pale I’d ever seen, her ears were still in the shape of a wolfs, her lips a light pink and small but for an elf warrior she was a little unusually small. The black wolf cloak that swamped her being seemed to be too big for her, but just her chest, feet and her middle was covered with the ebony fur, how she wasn’t cold unnerved me.   
The captain picked her up carefully and opens the cage next to me, laying her down and her unconscious features facing me. “Watch this one!” He exclaimed. Then slammed the door shut, for a few moments we sat in silent watching her, but more women were pulled out to be filled with these creatures young. A few hours later and the Elven wolf warrior woke up.   
She places a hand behind her head; she sighs and whines as she wakes up. She looks over to me; I can tell her eyes couldn’t focus due to her pupils changing size. “Mayeleth came to us, I was sent here to scout the area, but my curiosity became too over powering, but if I wasn’t home by night fall they would be sending out a search party.” She told me. She turned her head back to look a the ceiling.   
“What’s your name?” I asked softly.   
“Seddori.” She smiled sweetly at me.   
“Enough!” The captain yelled banging his cane against the bars. Seddori turned over with her back to me, to everyone. We all sat in silence, I noticed the warrior tucked her legs up under herself and wrapped her arms around her knees. A few hours later and not a single being arrived to save us. Just as I was about to nod off I hear loud growling and I see an army of Elven Wolf Warriors charging towards us. Seddori hadn’t moved, she hadn’t woken up. I feared the worst since the captain had gone into her cage and beat her. I slipped a hand through the railings and felt her skin, it was ice cold.   
I turned her over gently to discover she was in fact dead, her eyes had frozen over and she was staring eerily at me. “May you rest dear sister.” I whispered and closed her eyes.  
The Elven Wolf Warriors were covered in blood and were growling and snarling. They looked from us and then to Seddori, a large black beast knelt before the cage, a low whine escaping him, he looked to me. “They killed her!” I said pointing to the beasts that now lay dead. He howled and our cage doors were pulled off their hinges, I was hauled out with the rest of the elves, I tried looking back to watch the spectacle but I was too far, and bodies of fur disrupted my view. All we could hear was loud howling.   
Several carts awaited us outside; I was bundled in with everyone else. They tapped the oxen on the rump and with a loud snort; the creatures began to pull us away from our nightmare.


	3. Chapter 3

We were taken to their camp, two great wooden gates opened with a creak, we were greeted by tents on eitherisde of the path. Many warriors glanced at us, many surprised and placing their hands over their mouths. We didn’t look that bad did we? We were taken to a large tent at the very end where the fence ended. “Get them out, get them to the healer immediately!” an older voice yelled in desperation. There was one Elf warrior assigned to us, my turn came and she slung my arm over her shoulders while she placed an arm around my waist and took me to the tent, I noticed there was a dog flag flying on top of the tent.   
“Come on we need to get you healed!” she said hurrying me into the tent. I was taken to a bed at the very end, I gazed around seeing so many of my kin in pain and suffering, as soon as the soft sheets touched my skin I cried out. “Easy,” she said. “You’ll be seen to soon,” she walked off, her hips swaying as she walked off, my eyes then looked to the ceiling but boot steps soon interrupted my thoughts.   
“Ashgar?” I looked over from where the voice came from and there stood a female Elven Wolf Warrior, her hair was long with tight curls and was the brightest shade of green, her eyes a warm yellow and her dress was made of leaves and covered her from head to toe, and a wide brown belt covering her torso. She knelt down next to me, “do you not remember me?” she asked her voice very high pitched.   
“No, should I?” I asked.   
“We fought together once, my clan was called in for reinforcements? You saved my life.” She explained.   
“Deronia?” I asked reaching a shaky hand out to her, she walked closer and dragged a stand with a bowl sat on the top closer, she then began to drag a warm cloth over my chest bathing my wounds, I hissed in pain.   
“Keep still, it will only hurt more,” she said in a soothing manner. I didn’t have the energy to respond I just kept my eyes pinned on the ceiling, I watched the material as it floated with a certain elegance as the breeze gently caressed the ivory.   
“Has Mayeleth been found?” I croaked.   
“No, he disappeared after he alerted us.” She answered. “But we’re concerned at how close those foul creatures were to our encampment.”   
“They had been seen in the mountains close to here,” I said.  
“And no one was alerted?” she exclaimed perhaps resting the cloth a little too hard into my wounds and caused me to shout.   
“Do you wanna watch with your gentleness?” I asked through gritted teeth.   
“I’m sorry, sometimes I forget.” She said taking the cloth off and soaked the cloth into the bowl of warm water, she cleaned the wound around my missing eye being careful not to go too deep into the open socket, she then began to sew up my wounds and wrapped me in bandages before leaving me to rest.  
“There’s a bell on the table next to you, ring it if you need anything,” she said taking my hand gently on my blind side and rested it on the handle, I nodded a thank you and she left me. I sighed to myself even my lungs were sore, I attempted to get comfortable on the bed, I found myself giving into sleep as weakness over took me.  
When I awoke I was back in the cage, I panicked and sat up immediately I ran to the bars, I looked out and saw the corpse of Seddori but she was now standing, her body rotting. “Why didn’t you save me?” she moaned.   
“I. . . I. . .” I couldn’t answer I was at a loss for words, just as she reached a hand through the bars and her jaw fell off I woke up and the elf was next to me once again


End file.
